A 34-year-old woman, who is actively working on her weight loss journey, recently turned to the “Am I the A**hole?” forum to get opinions on a situation she faced during a flight. While she recognized that she was still overweight, she shared that, in hopes of being more comfortable, she had proactively reserved an extra seat for a cross-country Christmas trip to visit her brother and his husband.

While boarding the flight, things took a sour turn

While the boarding process was initially smooth, things took a sudden turn once onboard the flight. A mother with a toddler, around 18 months old, approached her row and insisted that the woman fit into a single seat to make room for her son in the extra seat she had purchased.

The woman declined, explaining that she had bought the additional seat for her own comfort. Unsatisfied with this response, the mother caused a disturbance, attracting the attention of a flight attendant. The woman had to present her boarding passes to confirm that she had indeed paid for the extra seat. Even so, the flight attendant recommended that she try to fit into one seat, which the woman firmly refused, emphasizing her right to the seat she had paid for.

After much back and forth, the flight attendant dealt with the issue differently

Eventually, the flight attendant instructed the mother to have her son sit on her lap. During the flight, the woman received disapproving glances and passive-aggressive comments from the mother. Upon reflection, she felt a bit guilty, wondering if she had been in the wrong due to the toddler’s difficult behavior.

Upon sharing her experience on Reddit, responses were divided

Many people supported the woman, claiming she wasn’t to blame since she had paid for the extra seat, while criticizing the mother for failing to secure a seat for her child. Some even suggested filing a complaint against the airline for mishandling the situation.

On the other hand, some defended the mother, arguing that the woman should have made room for the child to avoid discomfort for both parties. A few questioned the necessity of having two seats for personal comfort, especially given the possibility of flight overbooking.

One person stated: “She’s TA for not buying a seat for her son and assuming someone else would give up a seat they paid for. Odds are she was hoping there’d be extra seats on the flight so she didn’t have to pay and used the lap thing as a loophole. A classic case of you snooze you lose.”

“Absolutely 100 per cent NTA. You paid for your seat. This woman was trying to steal a free seat for her kid. If it’s too hard to have him on her lap, buy a seat for him. It’s shite that they even asked you to share or give up your seat,” another person commented.

“She had no right and the plane staff should have shut her down.” A third person added: “NTA. You did exactly what you were supposed to do to accommodate your size.” “NTA, but the mom and the flight attendant absolutely are. I’d go so far as making a complaint to the airline about their employee supporting another passenger harassing you,” a fourth person shared. “WHY these flight attendants want to encourage this a**hole behaviour I will never understand.”

The majority favored the woman

In conclusion, most Reddit responses supported the woman, highlighting her entitlement to the paid seat and criticizing the mother for attempting to get a free seat for her child. The incident sparked a discussion on proper etiquette and consideration during air travel.

“How much room does a kid take up, seriously? Yeah the mum should’ve bought a seat but that doesn’t mean you have to be selfish and cause two people discomfort,” one person responded. Another added: “If you are so fat that you have to have more than one seat on an airplane then you are selfish. Flights overbook all the time, especially during the holidays – how can you justify having two seats to yourself?”